Hospital criticised for failures in handling of foetuses

A hospital has been heavily criticised over how its mortuary dealt with the remains of foetuses.

Both major and critical failings were found at the Countess of Chester hospital, including the babies' remains being left in fridges rather than freezers, and the risk of bereaved families being invited to view the wrong bodies.

The inspection was carried out by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA), the watchdog responsible for ensuring human organs and remains are properly handled.

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said it "fully accepted" the findings, apologised, and said procedures had since been "strengthened".

Nothing in the report is linked to the time that Lucy Letby - jailed for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of seven others - was working in the hospital's neonatal unit, during 2015 and 2016.

While the July inspection generally found the hospital had met the majority of the HTA's standards, it found one critical failure, four major shortfalls, two described as "cumulative major", and eight minor breaches.

The critical failure was recorded when inspectors "identified a small number of cases [of fetuses] in refrigerated storage that should have been placed into long-term freezer storage".

In a major failing, concerns were raised about procedures in place for the relatives attending the mortuary for viewings, with the report noting a "a risk of viewing the wrong body".

Procedures in place for the release of bodies to funeral directors were also found wanting, with "a risk of releasing a wrong body" identified.

The report, first published in the Health Service Journal, also found that required weekly checks of bodies "had not always been completed", while the condition of the mortuary building was also criticised.

It found the walls in the body store were "marked and damaged, exposing porous plaster" and the post-mortem room floor was heavily worn with a faulty drain.

The doors and door frames leading into the port-mortem room were also damaged, meaning "these areas cannot be adequately cleaned or disinfected".

Responding to the report, chief executive Jane Tomkinson told staff the hospital had rectified the issues.

In an email seen by the BBC she said: "You may have seen coverage in the media today following a Human Tissue Authority inspection of our mortuary in July.

"The inspection found that we fully met most of the licensing standards.

"We accept the findings of the HTA inspection. The critical shortfall identified during the inspection related to two cases, in which due to complex and sensitive circumstances, the transfer of two fetuses did not happen in accordance with HTA requirements.

"This was rectified immediately. Processes were immediately strengthened and full duty of candour applied to the families.

"We recognise that the coverage may be difficult for colleagues, particularly those supporting bereaved families.

"The executive team and I have full confidence in the mortuary team and the measures now in place. The team have responded promptly and professionally, with continued focus on dignity, compassion and respect."

A spokeswoman for the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: "We fully accept the findings for the HTA inspection and apologise that in a small number of cases, our arrangements did not meet the standards expected.

"The trust has clear processes in place for confirming the identification of deceased patients and for tracking any tissue or organs.

"There have been no incidents of the wrong deceased patient being viewed or released. All our mortuary processes were immediately strengthened and we were open and transparent with the families affected, in line with our duty of candour."

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